Core Strength Exercise Sequence With A Mountain Climbing Theme

By John Harker

Here is a fun sequence of three exercises, all with a mountain climbing theme designed to work the thighs, the core muscles, and the arms. A mountain climbing theme is one where you repeat the same body-lifting exercise continuously and endlessly but never get any higher! Kind of like the feeling you get when climbing a mountain and the each peak you were headed for turns out to be only a small rise in a path to a much higher peak.

Since the theme is mountain climbing, start out in a classic yoga ‘Mountain Pose’. From a kneeling position with both hands on the floor under the shoulders, let your hips lead in pulling you up into a right-angle posture where you are bent with a 90-degree angle at the hips. Your legs are straight making one line, and your hips, back, head and arms are all aligned making the second line. To make that right angle tilt your pelvis so your sit-bones are pointed to the ceiling. Spend a minute getting the alignment right and paying attention to your breath.

The first mountain climb is the classic ‘Mountain Climbers’. This exercise targets the thighs and the core muscles in the pelvis and lower back. From a Mountain Pose, bring one leg forward placing the foot between the arms into a lunge. Lower your chest forward, keeping your back straight, and place your hands on the floor out in front of you, a little more than shoulder-width apart. You should look like you're ready to run a race. Switch the position of each leg repeatedly for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Think of it as running place but with your hands on the ground. Finish with the opposite leg forward than you started with, then let your hips lead in pulling you back into Mountain Pose. Again spend a minute getting the alignment right and paying attention to your breath.

The second mountain climb is a variation on classic Mountain Climbers done with the arms. This exercise targets the upper body pressing muscles - triceps, pectorals and the anterior deltoids. Starting from Mountain Pose rotate forward on the shoulders dropping the hips so you legs come into line with your back. Now the right angle is at the shoulders, with one line formed by the legs, hips, back and head, and the other by the straight arms. In yoga this is often called ‘Plank Pose’. Hands are flat on the ground facing forwards. Raise the right hand and drop onto the right elbow. Raise the left hand and drop onto the left elbow. Raise the right elbow and putting your hand down straighten the arm. Raise the left elbow and putting the hand down straighten the arm. Then repeat this sequence also for 30 seconds to a minute. End in plank pose, and then raise the hips to return to Mountain Pose. Spend a minute getting the alignment right and paying attention to your breath.

The last mountain climb is a standing Duck Walk. The Duck Walk develops strength in the upper thigh muscles, develops stretching in the lower back muscles, and coordinates legs and balance in the squat position without the use of the arms. This seemingly harmless exercise gets really hard after a short period of constant fast movement. Starting from Mountain, jump both legs forward landing between the arms in a squat position. Legs a little wider than shoulder width apart. Drop your right leg from the squat onto your right knee. Then drop your left leg from the squat onto your left knee. Then raise your right leg putting the foot back on the ground into a squat, then raise the left leg and put the foot back on the ground into a squat. Then drop the right leg onto the right knee, and the left leg onto the left knee. Continue with this sequence for 30 seconds to a minute. End in the squat position and take a light leap back to Mountain. Drop the knees and pull your hips back into extended child’s pose.

These three exercises were un-symmetrical with respect to left/right, so to balance the whole sequence is then repeated on the other side. Done properly, these three mountain climber exercises should provide both entertainment and improved fitness…

John Harker is a cardio kickboxing teacher in Santa Cruz, California. He teaches at Westside Aerobics and Martial Arts. More information can be found on their website at http://www.wama-club.com and in his personal blog at http://www.myspace.com/johnharker